New parade watching rules

No pottys, no roping, no ladders
on the curb

After a year of discussion and a month of revisions, the New Orleans City Council met little opposition Jan. 23 to a series of changes to crowd behavior during Carnival parades — including a 6-foot setback for viewing ladders and a prohibition on roping off the neutral ground or placing portable toilets on public property. The final changes to the laws passed by the City Council include:

All ladders must be placed 6 feet from the curb. (Previously, ladders had to be set as far back as they were tall, a varying standard said to be difficult to enforce.)

No areas of neutral grounds or other public property can be roped off or obstructed by any other means.

No parking is allowed on either side of St. Charles or Napoleon avenues during parades.

No private portable toilets can be placed on public property; fines are applicable to the toilet-rental companies.

Snap pops no longer can be sold because they are described as a distraction to police officers tasked with looking for guns on the parade route.

The City Council worked on the ordinances for nine months with first responders, residents, Carnival krewes and the Mardi Gras advisory council, according to District B City Councilwoman LaToya Cantrell.